Where’s some evidence of fear of human hands.

From the text:

The hand, poised like doom above him, hesitated, and the man spoke laughing, “Wabam wabisca ip pit tah.”

There was a movement of the hand above him. He cringed involuntarily under the expected blow.

Hands were things to keep away from. They hurled stones, wielded sticks and clubs and whips, administered slaps and clouts, and, when they touched him, were cunning to hurt with pinch and twist and wrench. In strange villages he had encountered the hands of the children and learned that they were cruel to hurt. Also, he had once nearly had an eye poked out by a toddling papoose. From these experiences he became suspicious of all children. He could not tolerate them. When they came near with their ominous hands, he got up.